


First Winter

by nagisa-sensei (komaedakibou)



Series: Hannor Week 2018 [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Gavin is mentioned I guess, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 09:39:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16951605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/komaedakibou/pseuds/nagisa-sensei
Summary: Once the end of the year approached, all the festivities made Connor unable to focus from all the excitement. The more that he saw, the more he wanted to experience the things that made it so unique and interesting... but what he got was more than he ever could have expected.





	First Winter

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [ Hannor Week ](http://hannorweek.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Day 2 - Mistletoe

For the very first time since Connor had initially been activated, it was nearing the festive conclusion of the year. It was something that he never thought he would be interested in, but his deviancy led to him being ever so fascinated by human beliefs and traditions.

Although he’d been programmed with a wealth of knowledge and the ability to learn more with a quick search on the net, he’d never put any real thought into it. Sure, he’d noticed and taken basic notes of the events that happened throughout the year, but that was mostly so he’d know what days were considered non-working days.

They had nothing to do with him and a situation where he might need to know anything but the basics about them didn’t seem very likely.

There was never any desire to look at them closer or in more depth. Not until he gained proper sentience and an actual sense of self. Only then was he able to look at those things differently, slowly gaining an appreciation for life as he observed the actions and attitudes of others.

Now, with his newfound knowledge of himself and the world around him, he was insatiably curious. He wanted to know anything and everything there was to know and he found that he wasn’t satisfied no matter how much research or questioning he did.

There was just so much to know.

So much information was around him just begging to be absorbed, and that’s exactly what he planned to do – gather as much of it as he could while he had the chance.

There was no telling what his day would hold, or the next, so he’d make the most of it.

With those thoughts in mind, he always went out of his way to leave for work much earlier than he needed to so he could walk there. As tedious as it might sound to most people, it filled him with a sense of ease and content.

The buses and taxis made him rather uncomfortable, so he avoided them. Despite the peaceful protest led by Markus, there were still many who hated them with an intense passion. It was hard to ignore their stares, angry whispers and the occasional shouts by judgemental people claiming that they were just ‘pretending to be human’.

Connor didn’t want to be ‘seen as a human’, so it made him… feel something that he couldn’t put his finger on. It didn’t feel like pure anger, nor did it feel like sadness, but it was most certainly something with negative connotations.

Logically, he knew that there would always be people against them… but he couldn’t understand _why,_ after everything that had happened.

There were still anti-android protests, though there were now people going out of their way to defend them. It felt like there was a new android-related case of abuse every day at the hands of humans who saw them as property and slaves to be ordered around.

In some ways, it felt like nothing had changed.

He felt guilty for thinking it, an image of his friends at Jericho coming to his mind. They’d fought so hard months ago and it hadn’t completely ended, but they’d brought all the androids so far.

They had a long way to go, he knew that. But it was so tiring to see how people refused to learn and change their ways for the better.

Connor was very lucky, though. He was surrounded by people on a daily basis who accepted and welcomed him with open arms. Aside from _one person_ , but they were slowly but surely getting on better terms as the days went by.

Either way, he enjoyed walking. It meant that he wasn’t stuck in a small space with a bunch of people who might want him to be deactivated. He could just analyse the streets around him, the open space giving him the freedom to simply exist in peace.

Each day he tried to spruce up his walk by going down a new street, changing his routine, or just by walking on the other side of the road. The end of the year gave him reason to repeat them though, and that reason was quite simple.

 _Holiday decorations_.

The usual fantastical neon signs that hung in front of businesses were nothing in comparison to the entire street being lit up with a plethora of bright, multi-coloured decorations.

There were lights everywhere that the eye could see, long chains of tinsel were wrapped around just about anything it could be wrapped around, an endless variety of baubles were attached to anything they could be attached to without falling, decorated trees were scattered wherever they fit with all of the above on them… then there were also strange statues and figures depicting a man who flew above the skies in a sled led by reindeer as well as things like little gingerbread houses, snowflakes and snowmen.

It was an endless list of things that didn’t really share any connections other than the fact that they were somehow associated with the event. The story behind it all from what he knew wasn’t logical at all, but it was so interesting and made so many people happy that he couldn’t complain about it.

Although he didn’t understand many things that were happening, he still found himself getting extremely excited all the same.

There was a childlike joy that was rising within him, making his thirium pump work overtime. As he watched people, he wanted actively do more to see things from their point of view, to _feel_ what it was like. The easiest way to understand something was by experiencing it first hand, after all.

He wanted to make a gingerbread house with his own two hands, in the kitchen with fresh ingredients. With Hank, preferably, but there was no telling if the man would approve of it.

He wanted to decorate a tree of any size. He’d cover it in tinsel, even design his own baubles, and see if Hank would help him put the star on top. Or help him with anything else, because it seemed like it would be a fun project with more people.

He wanted to buy and wrap presents for people that he cared about. Even if he wouldn’t be the best at buying gifts, he’d hope to see the happiness in their eyes when they saw what he’d gotten for them.

He wanted to play in the snow without a care in the world. To build a big snowman and find various objects around to give it 'clothes'. Maybe he could make a snow _dog_ as well?

Shaking his head, he tried to focus on his current walk. As neat as those things seemed, he still felt a little strange for wanting to do them so much, especially when he had a lot of work to do that was much more important.

It really seemed as though the cheeriness of the season had managed to affect him. The smiling faces of people shopping for decorations and presents only fuelled his curiosity even further. It made him want to do the same things with an intensity beyond his comprehension.

The only problem was that he’d most likely have to talk to Hank first. It would definitely be unfair of him to make a decision that involved both of them without consulting him, and he’d need advice from someone he trusted and could count on without fail. But then the only person he’d want to surprise with a gift would be Hank (and Sumo, though that gift would have to go through the man first for the sake of convenience), so he wasn’t sure of what to do.

Did he risk it and do what he wanted? Or should he play it safe and talk to the man before he went out of his way to do anything?

Even after analysing all the pros and cons to each, he remained just as indecisive as he had been when he began. The _feelings_ that he had just didn’t seem to allow him to come to a logical conclusion because he was conflicted.

On one hand, he’d love to surprise Hank with a gift, or a mountain of gifts because he really liked him and would probably get carried away. On the other, he could find out if Hank wanted anything specific and make sure the man was prepared for a sudden onslaught of festivities on Connor’s part.

…The latter was obviously what logic dictated he do. The former, though, was more appealing on an emotional level.

Worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, he allowed his thoughts to wander instead of deciding. What kind of things would Hank even like as a gift? Aside from the unhealthy things that he already indulged himself in like fatty foods and alcoholic beverages, there weren’t all that many things that came to his mind.

Perhaps he’d appreciate a festive meal? Even if it wasn’t exactly the healthiest, he would make one exception as long as it wasn’t _too_ bad. Or maybe some clothing, since Hank was fond of his eccentric shirts. They could even have _matching_ shirts! That would be nice, he thought, much more excited than he probably should be.

When he faced decisions like this, he wished he could talk to Markus and Simon. Given how easily they’d integrated into society, they were the best people to consult on human-related matters. They understood him and they’d most likely know exactly what he was thinking and what he should do. Unfortunately, they were very busy and didn’t have time for such trivial things.

…They’d probably yell at him for thinking that way, but it was true. The worries that Connor had were nothing compared to the work that they were doing. The amazing progress they’d made to build a world where humans and androids could live as equals was astonishing.

Connor was just… caught in his ways, so to speak. Honestly, he didn’t feel like he fit in with humans _or_ androids, which left him in a strange state of mind where he generally didn’t know what to do or where he belonged.

The struggle of understanding people and the way they worked took its toll on him. While humans thought in a solitary place in their mind where nobody could reach, it was easy to share thoughts with another android. They could pass along knowledge and feelings with a single touch, but humans couldn’t. There was no way to obtain answers if they were stored in the mind of a human and it frustrated him greatly.

It was so obvious that he was an android that it was difficult to find people who were willing to indulge him. Not many people had the patience or preferred that he just consult the internet instead. Which he could understand the reasoning behind, sure, but he wouldn’t have asked them if he didn’t want an answer from them specifically.

There was nothing more informative, in his opinion, than the words of actual people standing in front of him. Not many seemed to understand that or simply refused to.

Not only did he want information on the world around him, he also wanted the knowledge of the people he knew. He wanted to get to know them better, to see how they thought of themselves and the world around them as well.

Scanning their belongings and piecing together a story on his own was effective but not good enough. It didn’t show him the little things that he couldn’t even begin to comprehend yet, like the reason behind the venue in a photo or why everything someone owned was a certain colour. He didn’t know why a little figure on someone’s desk made them smile every time they looked at it unless he _asked_ them.

Unfortunately, he didn’t think it would end well if he suddenly bombarded everyone he knew with questions. General or personal, there was still some apprehension that people seemed to have when he talked to them.

Frowning, he sighed. Whether he wanted to or not, he’d have to search for answers on his own first. He made a note to do so once the opportunity arose to get a proper foundation to build off of in regards to December festivities. Perhaps it would help him make a proper decision for a gift. Or at the very least, it might help him decide whether or not he should talk to Hank about it.

In the meantime, however, he needed to focus on his job. It was for the best that he stopped getting so worked up about something he didn’t even understand and get the things that he _does_ understand at the forefront of his mind instead.

The Detroit Police Department were kind enough to keep him around despite everything that had happened. They’d grown used to him and he made investigations much easier and more convenient, they said, and that it had nothing to do with the fact that they’d grown attached to him personally.

…Aside from Hank, of course, who had already shown how much he cared. It was announced loud and clear in the tight hug he gave Connor when he returned from the CyberLife Tower. It was set in stone when he told Connor that he’d always have a home as long as he didn’t mind hanging around ‘an old grump’ (his words), like he actually wanted the android to stay in his life.

Over time, even if the man was stubborn and not the happiest of people, he started to notice the smiles that were sent his way… then all the other looks he was given.

The way that Hank looked at him while he was working, with a lazy smile that he tried to hide when they locked eyes. The way that Hank’s face softened every now and then when they were together, like he was comfortable and happy. The way that Hank smirked and looked at him with pride whenever he said anything witty or stood up for himself.

After seeing all of those things, it was hard to believe that there was a time where they didn’t get along. It felt like they complemented each other nicely and made each other better than they ever could be on their own.

In fact, he was almost one-hundred percent certain that it was thanks to Hank that Captain Fowler decided to offer him a proper job. One where he was treated like any other human employee; he got paid personally, he got a proper badge and uniform that didn’t announce that he was an android all over it, and he was asked about his opinion on how to proceed with cases as well as how comfortable the office was.

Connor was eternally grateful for all of it.

The chance to continue where he left off meant more to him than he could ever hope to express. Even after deviating, being a part of the DPD felt right and like it was meant to be. It made him feel like he had purpose, like he was doing something good just like Markus was. It made him feel like he’d earned the right to live freely.

With his ability to now understand and acknowledge his emotions, it was overwhelming to think about. The job and the people there held so much importance to him that he wasn’t sure how he’d survive without them.

Just the thought of not being there made his thirium pump feel as though it were suffering and in genuine pain. To say that it would’ve made him upset to be elsewhere was an immense understatement. He loved it there and didn’t _want_ to be anywhere else no matter the circumstances.

Even so, he didn’t exactly understand _why_.

It didn’t really make much sense to him, but the feelings were undoubtedly there. Negativity swirled inside him like a hurricane at the thought of not being there, of Hank working with someone else, of him having to start life anew…

He didn’t want it.

Even though everything was fine, his feet stopped moving from the strange pain inside of him. He’d been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn’t even been looking properly at the decorations and he was already almost at work.

The pretty lights had been tainted by his bleak line of thought, though. The joy inside of him was dampened, even as a happy family walked by him.

Connor looked down at the path for the rest of the walk, not allowing himself to think. Instead, he ran some logistics, analysed his status and ran over some case files from the previous week. Anything that prevented his mind from wandering into a place where he didn't feel like it should be.

Once he saw Hank, he’d feel better. All he had to do was get there and the usual routine would fall into place. Then the strange, inexplicable pain would surely go away.

For today he would ignore anything and everything festive, he decided. The more work he managed to do, the more time he’d have to receive some of the answers he sought later.

...But it seemed like life had other plans for him.

The moment he walked into the office, he found that just about everyone in the DPD had succumbed to the allure of the holidays.

A decently sized tree that hadn’t been there the day prior was being decorated by a few people who weren’t busy, he assumed, and there was a large box on one of the spare desks filled to the brim with decorations. A chain of multi-coloured tinsel stretched across the floor and it sounded like they were looking for even more elsewhere as they shouted back and forth to each other from other sides of the large office.

Music was being played softly from somewhere he couldn’t identify. The tune currently on was upbeat, catchy and full of references he didn’t understand. It took much more willpower than he expected to refrain from making a quick search for information about them, but somehow he did it.

Hank was nowhere to be found. Quietly making his way to his desk with a bit of disappointment, he had to remind himself that he shouldn’t join in and should just wait patiently for his partner to arrive. It was his chance to question people who actually didn’t mind talking to him, but he was stubborn and stuck to his initial plan. Until his work was done, he wouldn’t allow any distractions to stop him from being useful and productive.

The only other person who didn’t seem to be interested was Gavin. Instead of yelling at or making fun of someone and ruining their good mood, he appeared to be moping at his desk in silence. Not even glancing in their direction, he was intently looking at something that was out of sight.

It was so out of character that he was curious. Connor didn’t want to think badly of him since they hadn’t actually had any bad experiences together since the peaceful protest, but his mind started to wonder.

What could possibly make him act like that? It was surprising that nobody else seemed to think his silence was strange, rather it seemed like he wasn’t even there at all.

As curious as Connor was, whatever he was hiding fell under the umbrella of ‘distractions’. It would’ve been easy for him to figure out what it was, but until the man showed actual signs of doing something that needed to be stopped, he didn’t have a good reason to go out of his way to find out.

Forcing himself to look away, he took out his coin to distract himself in a helpful way. The familiar feeling of it in his hand calmed him down, slowing his frantic thoughts.

Longingly watching the office as he rolled it through his fingers, the area around him was brought to life with lights. His eyes probably lit up along with them as he started up his terminal and sat back, his urge to search for things so strong that he felt like someone who getting pop-ups that kept covering what he needed to look at and was frustrated about constantly needing to close them.

Since nobody actually seemed to be working, he wasn’t feeling very motivated. Despite the fact that it should have been easy for him to follow orders and do his job, all he wanted to do was procrastinate and join in on the fun.

Perhaps Hank’s laziness had rubbed off on him? Even though the man was great at his job, it was obvious that a lot of the time he’d rather kick back and do anything absolutely else. The excitement in the room only made it much more difficult than it ever should be to focus.

When his terminal was ready, he stared at it blankly. Instead of using it, he wondered why Hank was so late.

The endless amount of possibilities swirled in his mind. Once again, questions that he didn’t have answers to were bothering him. It wasn’t exactly commonplace for the man to avoid work anymore, even if it once was, which only served to deepen his worry.

Hank seemed perfectly fine when he left the house. It was a little suspicious for him to leave before Connor, but he trusted him completely and without question. That, and the smile he’d been given was… _distracting._

For a moment, he did wonder if he should call him. He’d never resorted to doing it before, even though he’d been encouraged to on multiple occasions, mostly because they were just about always together.

Looking at the phone on his desk, he noticed that someone had put a small green plant with what appeared to be red berries on it. He wondered what it was and who did it. Then he wondered if Hank was really okay. He played the scene where the man left over and over in his head, looking for any signs of distress, sadness or… anything, really.

There wasn’t anything worth making a phone call about. Nonetheless, his hand gravitated closer to the phone and his urge grew ever stronger.

Before he could fully entertain the idea, Captain Fowler sauntered over to his desk and gave him a small and friendly but serious smile. The action and appearance of his boss, no matter how kind it was, was enough to put him in a more favourable working mood.

There was something about him that made Connor snap out of it, hand moving away from the phone and closer to his terminal. Hank probably wouldn’t appreciate being bothered, anyway. He needed to get work started for the both of them.

Fowler observed him as he did, leaning on his desk.

“How have you been settling back in?” Fowler asked, looking around the room with a hint of fondness in his eyes. It was gone almost as quick as it came. “Ah, forget it. I saw the way you tensed up when I came over here, so I won’t beat around the bush. There’s been a report of an-“ he coughed, cutting himself off and clearing his throat. “Well, it’s a homicide. It’ll be better if you go there and find out for yourself, I already called Hank about it so he _should_ be there.”

Nodding, he quickly uploaded all of the files assigned to the two of them from his terminal before turning it back off again.

The attitude displayed by the Captain didn’t go unrecognised, though he chose not to respond to it. As appreciated as the gesture was – there was no doubt the man was going to say something with the possibility of making him upset – he didn’t want any special treatment or to bring unwanted attention to his unknown emotions.

“I appreciate you coming over to inform me, Captain,” Connor said, standing up and fixing his tie. Looking around the room once more, he smiled softly. “To answer your question… I’m happy to be here and to have been given a chance to work with you all again. Although I’m a little distracted by the festivities right now, I’m sure I’ll calm down once I get used to it.”

Fowler laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. Judging by his body language, it seemed as though he were pleased with the response.

With what he said, it seemed like the Captain was actually concerned about him. Probably because he was sulking at his terminal for who knew how long, so obviously unsure of what to do because of the strange and foreign atmosphere in the office.

Connor was not good at hiding his emotions at all unless he was concentrating on a case, which everyone had grown to know almost immediately upon his return.

Being an open book in that regard wasn’t too bad, though. Gavin taunted him every now and them, but most of his comments had been lacking the bite they used to have. Most of the other officers, especially Tina, were more interested in making sure he was okay. They provided a very warm and supportive atmosphere for him, going so far as to sit down and help him properly identify what he was feeling if and when he needed help and they weren’t busy.

Fowler patted him on the shoulder. It looked like he wanted to say more, but he ended up simply nodding and returning back to his office.

Well, that at least gave him something to do and let him know that Hank was okay. Once he got there, he could enquire further if he felt the need to. It depended on how suspiciously the man acted once they were able to talk face to face.

So off he went, motivation restored. Human traditions moved to the back of his mind where they wouldn’t distract him, finally allowing him peace of mind for a brief period.

Even though he didn’t look around as much as he wanted to while going to work, he decided to hail a taxi to get to the scene of the crime sooner. He was all business now, nothing but the case information he’d gathered on his mind. Going through it, he understood why Fowler was hesitant to talk to him about it.

A PL600 model android – the same as his friend, Simon – was found in pieces along with a message. It appeared to be written by another android, the immaculate writing it was in making that abundantly clear. Not knowing how to feel, he just moved on to analysing the rest of the documented information as well as his own status.

Apprehension was definitely still there, simmering beneath the surface. It was hidden under a thick layer of neutrality that came whenever he was placed on any cases.

Despite that, it still must have looked like it affected him more than he expected. A few officers who were decorating had looked over at him while he was leaving with various concerned expressions on their faces, and Tina had even seemed like she was about to drop what she was doing to approach him. He’d left before they could say anything, but it still bothered him a little.

Either way, he completed his analysis. After looking at the crime scene in person, they’d likely just be tasked with hunting down the culprit. He just hoped that Hank was already there and waiting for him, even if he was perfectly capable of doing the job by himself.

Having the man as his support would be… favourable. It would undoubtedly make him stay focused and help to keep his emotions in check.

Luckily, Hank was indeed waiting for him as he arrived. It looked like he hadn’t even gone anywhere near the fancy looking house they’d be going into momentarily, instead opting to loiter dangerously close to the road.

“What are you doing, Lieutenant?” Connor asked once he paid the driver and stepped out of the car. “I believed that you would’ve already gotten started with the investigation.”

Hank looked at him and then looked away, flushing very slightly and coughing very fakely. It appeared that he was having some kind of internal struggle.

“What does it look like? I waited for you, asshole,” he replied, trying to sound like it was an inconvenience to him but failing miserably. It was quite clear that he was happy to see the android and waited because he wanted to. “Anyway, before we go in, I just, uh…” he cleared his throat, going quiet for a few moments. “I heard the model was… well, I kind of saw something and thought of you, and – I mean, I figured it’d be a nice distraction or…”

Trailing off, he made an extremely exhausted and angry face. It looked like he wanted to do nothing more than turn around and walk away.

The more that Hank spoke, the more visibly frustrated he became. If Connor wasn’t so work-orientated in that moment, he might’ve giggled at it. It certainly wasn’t something Hank did often, but he was clearly raging a war on himself in his head. But it looked like he was trying to do something that required him to lay bare some feelings, which he still had quite a bit of trouble with, so Connor did his best to help.

“Hank, slow down and take a deep breath,” he replied, deciding to drop the ‘lieutenant’ for the moment. It had clear results. Hank sighed and eased some of the tension, his hand going into one of his jacket pockets. “I understand that you may be concerned about me because of the victim in this case, but I assure you that I’m fine and that I can handle it.”

Sighing once again, the older man closed his eyes tightly. Connor was patient as he waited, the urge to comfort him there but being ignored.

They stood there for a few minutes until he calmed down and opened his eyes once again.

“Shit, why does this always happen with you?” Hank asked no one in particular, shaking his head and taking something out of his pocket. “God damn it, just take this. I saw it while I was out shopping earlier and I thought you might like to try it… since this is your first Christmas and all.”

The object offered to him was a large and very blue candy cane. He’d seen a few of them before being given to people or coupled with gifts, though he didn’t know their purpose or why he would be given one. It was the first time he'd seen a completely blue one, though. He was under the impression that they were traditionally red and white.

A quick scan stated that the candy cane was actually made of thirium and made for androids by a pro-android group that formerly worked with CyberLife. They were known for making alternatives to human delicacies that were catered towards the needs of androids so that they could have similar experiences.

“Hank…” Connor muttered, his thirium pump going through too many irregularities to possibly count. Error messages in his system made him concerned, but he disregarded them for the time being and hoped they had to do with his emotions and nothing actually serious. “I don’t know what to say...”

It felt like he was going to cry. The thoughtfulness of the gesture had him overwhelmed, especially since celebrating and experiencing new things had been at the forefront of his mind so much.

He’d been worried that Hank wouldn’t approve, but the fact that the man had gone out of his way to make sure he felt included, to allow him an experience that he wouldn't have otherwise… it made him so incredibly happy that he completely forgot where they were and leapt forward to give him a hug.

“W-woah, woah, calm down there,” Hank said loudly, chuckling a little nervously. “Well, a ‘thank you’ is always a good way to start, followed by ‘you’re the best, Hank’.”

“Thank you!” Connor said a little too happily, hugging him tighter. He was just glad he wasn’t told to stop hugging him, because he might’ve actually cried if he didn’t get the happiness and sheer joy out of his system. Even though the knew the reply was mostly a joke, it was true, so… “You’re the best, Hank!”

Pulling away, he smiled brightly at an extremely flustered Hank who batted him away and turned around.

“You can have it now if you want, but remember we _are_ at a crime scene,” he said, walking towards the house and expecting the android to follow. The next words he said were a lot quieter. “I hope you enjoy it.”

Connor removed its packaging as he trailed behind, noticing the slow pace they were moving at. It gave him more than enough time to wipe at his eyes and admire the candy before tentatively bringing it to his mouth and giving it an experimental lick.

The contents of the candy cane appeared in informative text, but he didn’t care about it in that moment. All he cared about was how strangely sweet it tasted on his tongue even though it should’ve just been thirium. He had taste receptors, but since his tongue also worked as a convenient way to analyse substances there had been no reason to activate them or pay them any mind.

It was amazing, though. There was clearly some sort of flavouring or something similar to give it a specific _taste_ which he found extremely pleasing. Popping it into his mouth, he took his time to enjoy the treat as they did their work.

Even though they weren’t in that house for long, it did end up bringing him down. The candy cane distracted him enough to stop it from impairing his ability to focus, and Hank had even taken his hand briefly and squeezed it reassuringly.

They found the culprit still in the house, torn and seemingly remorseful about what they had done.

 

~

 

When the two of them returned from the scene of the crime, the office seemed to have completely finished its festive transformation.

The previously empty corners of the room were all filled in with anything that fit there, as long as it wasn’t in the way. The ceiling was completely covered in sparkles that did not seem like a very good decision, but he supposed it was a tad aesthetically pleasing in theory. Humans did seem to like things that were shiny, so he wasn’t very surprised about the choice.

Connor wasn’t sure how he felt about the design choices, especially since he was still a little down, but the items themselves did make him perk up in interest. One look at Hank made him feel a little bit disappointed though, since it didn’t look like he was very happy with it.

In fact, Hank looked very displeased and uncomfortable. It only rose questions – what was it that he didn’t like? Was it the holiday or the decorations? Did it mean that he would be unhappy if Connor bought him presents or wanted to do things like decorate their home as well?

If he didn’t approve of it, then… well, Connor would probably be extremely sad, but more importantly he’d have to destroy the urge to celebrate completely.

There was just no fun or enjoyment in it if he wasn’t able to be excited with Hank.

“…You look upset, Lieutenant,” he said, trying not to allow his emotions to show through his tone or body language. “What’s wrong?”

“Just not in the mood,” he replied nonchalantly, shrugging and so obviously trying to drop the subject. But Connor didn’t miss the brief flash of panic that appeared on his face. “I’m gonna write my report and go home. You coming?”

Unsure of how to proceed, he wondered what could be making him panic. Did he have a traumatic experience related to something new in the room? He wanted to know.

“Of course,” he replied, a forced smile on his face. He desperately wanted to question him further, but pushing him for answers never ended well at all. “Did you need help with your report?”

Hank shook his head instead of responding with words, looking around cautiously. Connor, ever obedient, folded his hands behind his back and did his best to follow him in silence.

The moment that they walked under the threshold and into the office, a chorus of whistles and catcalls erupted within the small space. Stopping in his tracks, he had no idea how to react to the sudden loud noises or what to make of them. Hank was equally confused, looking much more annoyed and alert than he had just moments before.

Searching around again, Hank seemed to be looking for something specific. It almost seemed like he was expecting something, but Connor had no clue as to what that would be or why this was happening so suddenly.

As Hank opened his mouth to probably yell at everyone, it came to Connor’s attention that Gavin wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

Then, after noticing most of their excited co-workers were looking above their heads, he looked up to see a plastic imitation of a green plant hanging there. A quick analysis identified the item as ‘mistletoe’ and revealed Gavin’s fingerprints all over it.

The hoots of the other officers died down the moment that Hank looked up as well. In an instant, it looked like all of the blood had drained from his body.

“Oh, hell no!” Hank yelled without a second thought, the deathly paleness that had washed over him only bringing the sudden redness in his cheeks to everyone’s attention. “I’m leaving right now. See you at home, Connor.”

Connor started to panic in that moment as well. It felt like his thirium pump was being crushed and he had no idea why… but knowing that Hank wanted to leave him because of a plastic plant hit him hard.

Turning tail to leave, Hank tried to escape but paused when he looked at the panicked expression the android had on his face.

Not looking further into what mistletoe was, all Connor could do was be sad. Everyone had seemed so excited about it that he wanted to know what would happen next. Did Hank hate this time of year so much that he’d bring everyone around him down as well? Hank was a lot of things, but he didn’t think he’d be so opposed to something, especially with how much progress he’d made since they first met.

“…What’s wrong, Lieutenant?” Connor asked, unable to stop himself from pouting. “Did I do something to upset you?”

Hank looked at his lips and it seemed to make him even angrier.

They were getting along so well earlier. What happened to the thirium candy cane treat and how happy he looked with Connor’s reaction? The way he held his hand to reassure him? For a moment, he thought that perhaps he misjudged the man’s hatred of festivities…

Now, it seemed like he was right to be cautious after all. He’d have to get rid of all his objectives to participate in holiday activities no matter how disappointed it made him to do so.

“Just forget about it, okay? You didn't do anything, I’m just not in the mood.”

Hank couldn’t even look him in the eye, which only made him feel like he was being lied to. Looking down at the floor, he tried to calm himself down.

“Don’t be such a pussy,” a familiar voice suddenly announced, Gavin walking into the room with a smug smirk on his face. “Shit, can’t believe you won’t just say that you’re scared of kissing someone under the mistletoe. We try to catch someone each year with it, it’s Anderson’s turn to do the smooches and he’s too chicken to do it. Hell, I’ll-”

“Shut the fuck up, asshole,” Hank interjected loudly, waving a dismissive hand in Gavin’s direction. It looked like he wanted to be anywhere else other than there. “I don’t have to explain myself to you. I’m leaving.”

Connor blinked in confusion, unsure of how the conversation went to kisses and being scared. Doing a quick search on mistletoe again, he discovered the reason why Hank had suddenly gotten so defensive.

It was tradition to kiss anyone you stand under the mistletoe with. In this case, he just happened to be standing under it with… him.

Yet again, his thirium pump started to act strangely. A kiss was something you shared with someone you loved, someone you wanted to be intimately close to. He’d be lying if he said he never thought about it, especially while shows were on TV where partners did it.

It seemed… nice.

On a whim, Connor decided to go ahead and take the initiative himself. Closing the distance between them, he leaned up and hovered just inches away from Hank’s face before he felt like his face was going to implode and warnings appeared to alert him of the abnormality.

Hank’s breath hitched, but he didn’t move or flinch away from their closeness. Faintly, he heard what sounded like a cheer of encouragement but it seemed so far away.

Looking at Hank’s eyes, he felt… mesmerised. He’d seen them many times before, of course, but never while this close to them. The shade of blue that they were had quickly become one of his favourite colours. For some reason, he decided to lift his hand and caress Hank's cheek.

“Lieutenant, I-”

Hank was the one who closed the distance, pressing their lips together gently. It was much softer than he expected, much sweeter than he would’ve ever guessed. An arm snaked around him to hold him protectively close and it literally felt like sparks were traversing through his body. He'd heard tales of humans feeling sparks when they kissed 'the one', but he was pretty sure it just had something to do with him being an android. He wondered if Hank somehow felt it too.

It ended much too quickly, making him let out a small whine of disappointment. If it weren’t for the fact that he was suddenly extremely aware of the audience that they had, he might’ve leaned in again for more.

The two of them were flustered as they parted, Hank coughing and Connor laughing nervously under his breath.

“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Gavin taunted further, bringing attention to himself and revealing a decently sized bag filled completely with mistletoe. “I wasn’t going to let you get away from these, dipshit. You were gonna kiss someone whether you liked it or not. Be thankful it was your robot boyfriend this time.”

Hank just glared, though the redness in his cheeks made it much less threatening than he meant it to be. Connor couldn’t bring himself to look at anyone but Hank. But then the man walked out without a word, leaving the android standing there awkwardly.

When he was sure that he was gone, he went over to Gavin and asked for all of his mistletoe. When prompted for an answer, he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

The next day, Connor showed up to work with mistletoe all over him and nobody was surprised.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Any critique, comments and kudos would be much appreciated!


End file.
